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About the Speaker: Mario Santiago was born and raised in Puerto Rico. His father, a craniofacial orthodontist at Duke University, and his mother, a practicing periodontist, met at the Eastman Dental Center in Rochester, NY and later moved to Puerto Rico to start a family. This early exposure to the dental field sparked an interest in Mario, and he eagerly assisted his parents in their private practice. Upon moving to North Carolina, his family sought the assistance of the McGill & Hill Group for financial planning, transition, and legal matters. At just 11 years old, Mario vividly recalls attending his first official client meeting with his parents at the McGill & Hill Group office.
As he pursued his education, he truly enjoyed studying business concepts and working with numbers. While studying at UNC Chapel Hill, Mario earned a degree in Business Administration and Public Policy. Always keeping the McGill & Hill Group in mind, he secured an internship opportunity with the firm and received comprehensive training from John McGill and Roger Hill. Encouraged by his mentors, Mario decided to pursue accounting and successfully completed a master’s degree in accounting at UNC Chapel Hill, acquiring his CPA license and CFP® certificate. Despite gaining experience in the public accounting industry, Mario's thoughts often gravitated towards returning to the McGill & Hill Group.
Recognizing his potential, John McGill extended an offer for Mario to join the group as a Tax, Business, and Financial Planning Advisor. Since then, Mario has been dedicated to assisting dentists and specialists in reducing their tax liability, enhancing practice profitability, minimizing overhead, and helping them attain financial independence as quickly as possible. He frequently jokes that his parents had ulterior motives for wanting him to work at the group just to receive free tax planning advice.
An experienced speaker, Mario is a regular presenter to local and state study clubs, dental societies, and McGill & Hill Group seminars. Drawing from his childhood and first-hand experience in his parents’ practices, Mario shares invaluable insights and strategies aimed at helping doctors enhance the success of their practices, identify creative strategies to reduce taxes, and discover effective saving and debt reduction strategies. In addition to his speaking engagements, Mario is a frequent contributor to The McGill Advisory newsletter, where he continues to provide valuable information and guidance to dentists. He also showcases his expertise as a guest host on the popular Drilling it Down webcast, where he delves into the nuances of the dental profession, sharing wisdom and fostering a sense of community among their viewers.
Outside the realm of dentistry, you can find Mario playing tennis, reading books, and volunteering through his church at the local soup kitchen. More importantly, Mario likes to make time for his family and friends, and he makes it a priority to visit his extended family in Puerto Rico and Colombia every year. |
